Campsites and Wild camping in Spain

[Sierra Trekking]

Campsites: PURGATORY! Rowdy Spaniards might only start eating at 11pm. Camping along the coast in August was expensive, humid, and sometimes you had to pay for your BIKE!!!

Wild camping: I really wanted to do more of this, but although I had a freestanding dome tent, thorny ground was the problem, and I was afraid to risk my Thermarest. I fill a Platypus plastic bladder in the evening for my ablutions, aided by a flannel and mess tin. The best things about free wild camping are saving dosh to spend on FOOD, and never worrying about having a roof over your head, so you can blissfully ride during balmy evenings when the light is at its most beautiful.

http://www.warmshowers.org/ is Couch Surfing for cycletourists. I've just enrolled myself an hour ago, after seeing a map featuring many hosts on my forthcoming Massive Tour Of Europe!! Even if I don't fancy spending the night, I wouldn't mind asking for the use of hot water to wash me and my clothes...

Thanks for the info. I don't do busy/noisy campsites so will avoid coastal areas (apart from one which I know is quiet).
I agree that money is much better spent on Cerveza and Tapas than campsite fees!

I'll be taking some patches for my Thermarest ;o)

[horizon]

I found one or two excellent sites around Valencia, small and with grassy ares and another nice site in Soria. However these are the exceptions to the rule and even quite nice sites often have only hard standing.

[casper]

Hi, myself and a mate toured in France and Northern Spain last October.We wild camped for 3 weeks apart from 4 nights (Yorkshiremen). The Spain leg from the France/Spain border on the coast, to Santander along the same coast was fine for wild camping. Most beaches were surf spots and had free beach showers,we found quiet spots everynight and usually with a view of the sea or within earshot of the waves . Usually we ate and relaxed then pitched at dusk,rising and leaving fairly early.The few times we were discovered were usually by a dog walker or the like. We chose what we thought were 'common ground' ie not private,such as beach areas, corners of parks or the green belt type areas on the edge of towns.The thinking was that if its just dog walkers or strollers wandering by,will they care? It seemed not.

Not a problem. Enjoy.

[Helen]

Heading up the Spanish coast, it was getting dark when a luxury campsite wanted €20 for a few hours of grass space. No, gracias! I followed a track, only to find Plan B campsite closed. My Michelin map showed a track round the "cliffs" to the next resort, so I trudged up there with my headtorch. Up on top, I'd just got my tent bag off when the Guardia Civil rolled up in their jeep, shining lights in my face. "Are you going to camp here?" "No," I replied, (in Spanish of course), toeing my tent behind a rock, "I'm heading down there" (towards bright lights and hotels).

After showing them my passport and telling them 10 times that I ALWAYS rode alone, they left me alone. I did get down to the town, but dossed on a bench on the outskirts. All very satisfactory, apart from the couple of snoggers who rode up on their moped and... well never mind about that!

[Sierra Trekking]

Thanks again for all the replies. I think the wild camping in Spain will be 'interesting' and if the sites
prove to cost 20 euros+ then I'll avoid them where possible.
Less than 2 weeks to go now so getting excited.
Still more questions than answers but can't wait to get started.

[LowPlainsDrifter]

I envy you and wish I was going on a similar trip but for now am having to care for my aging mother so cannot escape like I once did. Reading posts like yours keeps me going.
Just suss out places before dark if you can then come back to them at dusk etc.
Good luck and let us know how you go.

[hamish]

I found Spanish sites to be expensive and the charging schemes are biased against groups in lots of small tents rather than one big. But we did find some good ones in Cantabria and Asturias.

[jags]

well after reading all this thread i wont be going cycle touring in spain unless of course i have loads of dosh that will allow me to use hotels,but thats noy really cycle touring is it.

[horizon]

jags: lots of people will disagree with you but I do see your point - France and the UK are brilliant for cycle camping. But finding cheap hotels is part of the game too and Spain is not so bad for that.

[dannytheman1]

i have a week off work in early July and i'm contemplating a trip up / down the coast from Barcelona. having read posts here, i'm happy to wild camp but have never undertook a ride like this before so any suggestions/advice on routes, wild camping spots, what gear to take, and also best ways of transporting me bike to and from the airport (mates have transported it out in a cardboard bike box and discarded it on arrival and then just bubble wrapped it for the return journey).

also, i'm not totally set on Barcelona so if anyone can suggest any other destinations with a bit of sun and sand for a weeks riding then that'd be appreciated too.

cheers